HELP!!!!! goldfish in trouble!

badmonkey · 02-09-2007, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by badmonkey
i have a goldfish with something like a VERY large pimple on its side(i have pic if u like) that just showed up and got bigger. someone told me that it will burst and infect the other fish if i dont remove the fish before it pops. what is it? is it true and can i help it?

mayastarocker · 02-09-2007, 07:40 PM

A pic would be nice. How long has it had it? It sounds like it is an ulcer. A book that I have says that they are triggered by bacterial infection. What I would do is that it also says that you can put salt in the water. My book says "salt reduces salt regulation between the fish's body fluids and the freshwater environment, replaces lost electrolytesand possibly compromises or kills some external parasites." I Hope your goldfish gets better. By the way, welcome to the forum!

Tommy Gun · 02-09-2007, 09:26 PM

I agree wit maya that it may be a bacterial infection, however it could be parasitic in nature as well, in which case, it could become a problem in your other fish as well. Quarantine is typically the best first step you can take to protect your main tank as a whole, however, be sure to keep an eye on both tanks the best you can.

Is the area redish in color or more like a cottony white?

badmonkey · 02-10-2007, 01:14 PM

im not sure that salt is helping. we clean the tanks once a week and add aquarium salt to it as well as the other treatments. how would a parasite het in the tank? we havent added any fish to it, maybe the water? its a raised red bumb with a white head on it, like one of those huge painful pimples people get. i have a pic for you but i have to find the wire for my camra.

Tommy Gun · 02-11-2007, 02:02 AM

Parasites can come from a number of sources and it very well could be that the parasite came on a plant, in food, or has been there the entire time and is just now starting to show itself. It is also very possible that this was a parasite issue from the not so distant past which is now experiencing a secondary infection.

The point is, unless someone is highly trained in fish and illnesses in particular, diagnosing a lot of issues is much more of an educated guess than it is a proof-positive disease ID and treatment. That said, the issue you have right now could be quite a few things and so looking at them all would help determine the best course of action which is as broad as possible. So, try not to rule anything out since I think because of human nature, we tend to pick the problem which is the easier one to treat and convince ourselves that we must be right about it.